Traveler
by paynesgrey
Summary: Two lonely shifters meet each other. Crossover. Leah Clearwater x Sam Merlotte. Serialization.
1. Traveler

AN: Written for the "Token" theme for fanfic_bakeoff on Livejournal. X-over with True Blood and Twilight. Short, though I leave it up in the air if there will be more of these two. Rated G. Word Count: 300.

Traveler

Leah runs and starts a new journey (to avoid her heart), and she notices when the cool, stark air transforms into a slick, muggy sheen across her skin.

She senses other shifters and werewolves in the area, finding no solace in the cliquish order of the weres. She's seen enough of it in her own pack, and she wants to free her mind of that – of Sam, Jake, and even of the cold ones.

She's resting when she hears him pad next to her. She tenses but relaxes when it's only a collie. When he transforms, she looks up at him (on her guard) and hopes her misery and anger will drive him away (like it does everyone else).

Instead, Leah finds herself taking his hand. He only needs to smile, and she follows him inside. She must be too exhausted to accept a stranger.

He gives her clothes and food, and just stares. He looks elated to find someone like him. She hasn't seen many shifters, not like her – or him, so above and beyond the grubby weres she's meant to avoid.

"Name's Sam," he says (of course it would be, she thinks). "Welcome to my bar." The place feels rustic and homey, and she hears country music tingling around her.

"Leah," she says. "What's this?" Her mouth waters at the food in front of her, but she's still cautious, wondering if she can trust him. She's leaning, though; it's not hard when Sam is so inviting.

"Yours," he says simply. "You far from home?" She nods at his observation, and she takes the first tentative bite of her burger. The food is good, and the company seems even better. She meets his eyes again and feels an odd, rare sensation in the muscles of her face.

Leah smiles.


	2. Mutual Attraction

AN: This is the second part to my "Traveler" drabble that was started a few months ago. I decided to continue it, and these six interrelated parts are all written for the "Bright" prompt at fanfic_backoff on Livejournal. More to come.

-O-O-O-

Traveler

Part Two: Mutual Attraction

II.

Leah's stomach is full when Sam offers her a beer. She gladly takes it, and the cold liquid soothes her from the sweltering heat. She's not quite used to it yet, but she doesn't think it's bad. It's definitely different than Forks, but she readily admits that's why she ran, and different scenery is just what she needs.

She's been at his bar for almost a half an hour and not much is said between them, but they do enjoy the silent company for the most part. Leah tries not to stare at him; she doesn't deny that Sam Merlotte is good-looking, and he definitely can be mesmerizing.

The more Sam smiles and regards her, the more Leah opens up to him. It's hard not to; Sam's eyes are bright when he talks to her, and his smile is infectious.

"I don't know many shifters," he admits. "You're not the first, but you're definitely..." He pauses with a hopeful smirk. "Different."

"How?" she asks. He doesn't even know her, but it's like he senses she's not a threat. Maybe it's his shifter nature.

"Well, mostly it's just my gut tellin' me that you're not bad. The first shifter I met wasn't to be trusted," Sam bemoans with pursed lips.

"How do you know you can trust me? I only just got here. You know nothing about me. I'm a stranger, and that's a fact. I could be, at worst, a killer on the hunt," Leah says with a smirk, rolling her eyes; however, Sam immediately senses her teasing.

"Maybe I don't know if I can trust ya," Sam says smiling sadly. Leah looks into his eyes and sees that he wants desperately to believe in her - believe in something, and she empathizes. Sam continues, "But I sure want to." 

III.

Sam takes a swig of his beer, and he exhales a heavy breath. "So, a wolf, huh? Is that your favorite?"

Leah meets his eyes. "It's the only animal I can do." He seems curious, and his silence opens her to explain more. "It's a tribe thing. I grew up in a shifter tribe that is especially tied to wolf spirits." She pauses and regards him. "I suppose you can shift into anything. I've heard of shifters like that. I suppose you're right that I'm different."

"I'm always meetin' different types of supes. I've seen weres and vampires and maenads. We get all sorts, though not everyone is out in the open," Sam says.

Lean wrinkles her nose when she thinks of vampires. "We have vampires near us, though we don't call them that. They're definitely monsters – cold ones, but they can walk among the sunlight and it turns them so bright that they can be blinding." She grimaces and meets his curious stare. "I'm beginning to think vampire is a relative term, but they are all dangerous monsters as far as I'm concerned."

"I'll drink to that." Sam raises his beer, and automatically she follows his lead. They clink them together, toasting to their mutual distaste for such creatures. Sam sighs and Leah sees his eyes fill with mysteries. Obviously, he's had problems with vampires himself.

"Great, and here I was running all this way to get away from them," Leah muses aloud, and Sam chuckles.

"You'd have to run off the Earth for that," Sam says. "Best just to kill 'em and get it over with."

"Another skill we share. You can read my mind," she says, but Sam is unexpectedly bewildered. _Ah,_ Leah thinks with a wave of pleasure. _It would be wonderful if he can't!_

IV.

"You can read minds? Tell me that was a joke," Sam laughs incredulous.

Leah feels embarrassed. "It wasn't. In my pack, everyone can read everyone else's mind." One of her eyebrows lifts slightly. "You see another reason why I ran away."

"Well, mind reading isn't certainly new to me, but I thought it was a special human kind of thing," Sam says. "I mean, the only mind reader I know is human."

Leah shakes her head. "We can only read minds among our tribe." She sees him relax and giggles. "So you don't have to worry. I can't read your mind."

Sam blows out a breath of relief. "Well, that's good. I've had enough problems with that, and seein' as how we just met..." He draws his eyes shyly away from her. "I don't want my thoughts to be seen as impolite."

"Just saying that already puts you in trouble," Leah teases. She leans closer to him. She thinks about shifting the bar stool closer, but her meaning gets across regardless. Leah admits it's been too long since a guy even looked at her. She hasn't been with anyone since the other Sam, and there was this brief thing with Jake, but now he's imprinted and that will never go anywhere. Leah is free, free from the confines of the imprint, but also lonely as she has to find companionship on her own.

She's convinced there are no otherworldly forces at work here with Sam. Sam is just a man who sees her as a woman. She can see it in his eyes and smile.

"So...I'm going to be opening up in an hour or so..." he speaks, interrupting the tension. "You're welcome to hang out."

Leah smiles awkwardly; she wants to cheer with happiness, but admittedly, she's somewhat scared.

V.

"I don't want to get in your way," Leah starts, but Sam closes his eyes and puts a hand on her forearm.

"I'm not so good at this," he confesses. His eyes seem desperate. "What I'm saying is, Leah, I want you to stay." His tone turns a little louder, yet still gracious. "As long as you like."

Leah smiles, twisting the bottle idly in her hand. "That's nice of you," she says quietly, and her eyes roam around the bar as she imagines it bright with life. It's comfortable, and truthfully she isn't ready to leave yet. She glances at Sam as he waits for her answer. She supposes she has a reason to stay for a bit.

She nods and Sam seems excited. "Ah, well, it's a Thursday night. We ain't so busy, so hopefully, if you need me..."

"I'll be fine," she says, "And if you need any help..."

Sam's grin widened. "Well, we may need a waitress." Leah laughs immediately, and Sam rubs his neck in embarrassment. "That sounded too desperate, didn't it?"

"Well, it seems like there's a story behind you needing a waitress," Leah says, looking around the bar again. "I wonder if that's a common thing," she says teasingly.

Sam grimaces. "You have no idea."

"I suppose I could fill in. I mean, you were kind enough to feed me when I was near death out there," she says. "It's not like I can carry money around with me."

"You don't need to tell me," Sam says, winking at her. He starts to move past the bar to the rooms in the back. He motioned for her to follow him, and Leah rises anxiously from her seat. "Come on. I'll find ya a uniform for the night."

Leah nods, trailing closely behind him.

VI.

Leah follows Sam back to his office, and she watches as he digs through a closet to find his bar's uniform. Leah notices they're fresh, with a bright white shirt still wrapped in the plastic in which it was shipped. She takes them slowly, and she meets Sam's gaze with a nervous smile.

"Are you sure I'm not intruding?" she asks again, suddenly feeling self conscious. She can't believe it's this easy to be accepted by someone, even though it seems Sam is just as lonely as she is, and he's the kind of guy who treats women well, or at least wants the chance.

Sam laughs and assures her, "Of course, you'll fit in real well here, and though Arlene may give you a tough time, Jessica and Sookie will help you. Ah, I must warn you, Jess is a vampire," he says, and Leah automatically tenses. "But...she's not like the others."

"What's does that mean?" Leah asks defensively.

"Well," he says congenially. "Jessica is a new vampire, and she was never taught to be vicious like the other ones. Plus, Sookie does well to keep her in line."

Leah notices a tinge of pain when Sam talks about Sookie, and she wonders if the girl is special to him, but perhaps he can't have her, just like Leah can't have the man she wants.

She stares at the floor and feels silly for presuming anything about Sam's love life. "I don't know..."

She tenses when she feels Sam's hand on her shoulder. She looks up slowly and levels with his gaze. "Trust me; you have nothing to worry about."

She stiffens rigidly and regains her composure. "I'm not worried," she says hotly. "You do remember how large I can change, don't you?"

He grins, his anxiety instantly sated.

VII.

Sam is right. It's so slow at the bar, and most of the evening Leah spends quietly watching Jessica or chatting with Arlene, who for some reason takes a liking to her right away. (Mainly because she admits she doesn't like vampires either.)

Sookie asks her how long she's staying, and Leah bristles at the question but tells her only that she doesn't know. Sookie is nice enough, but Leah finds her far too cuddly with vampires for her taste. Thanks to Sam, however, Leah learns really fast to shield her thoughts away from Sookie. Sookie gives her odd looks now and again, and the warning glare from Leah tells her to stay out of her head for good.

Sam's customers seem okay; some are rowdy hillbillies that Leah admits even Forks has, and then there are regular people, god-fearing people, and just people who want to be left alone. Thankfully, Leah doesn't see any vampires that night other than Jessica, who is a lot nicer than she expects.

She can be as sweet and nice as Carlisle Cullen himself, but that doesn't mean Leah's going to befriend her anytime soon. Jessica gets the hint, and with no bright ideas to try to be her friend like Sookie, the fledgling leaves her well alone.

Leah can't wait for the night to end, to be away from these strangers, but most of all to be able to be alone with Sam. One night of waitressing makes her realize this. Sam is the only reason she's staying - out of curiosity, attraction, and maybe something more.

Perhaps she's deluded to hope, but she can't deny the chemistry. They have it, and Leah wants nothing more than to ride it out to see if something will grow between them.


	3. Stay

AN: Written for the "Escape" theme at fanfic_bakeoff at Livejournal. Three parts are 300 words each.

* * *

Traveler

Part Three: Stay

VIII.

If Leah is going to escape Bon Temps, she better do it now before her heart gets too invested in it, and too invested in Sam Merlotte. She's warring with herself, and there's a part of her that wants to keep running, assuring her nothing good can come out of staying here with other supernatural people, even ones as nice as Sam.

Leah can't fight the temptation. During that night she catches Sam looking at her frequently, and the one time she wishes she could read minds, it's frustrating that she can't and she has to leave everything up to instinct.

The other waitresses tell her goodbye as they leave for home, and Leah is surprised that Sookie is still being nice to her as much as Leah has tried to avoid her that night. Jessica stares at her curiously before Sookie drags her out the door. Leah tenses when she senses someone else waiting for them in Sam's forest, and she supposes it's Sookie's vampire boyfriend that Sam has warned her about.

When everyone leaves, she has a chance to leave without Sam noticing. He tells her he needs to go into his office for a few minutes, and she's welcome to any of the drinks or leftover food on the grill. The cooks leave last, cleaning up the floors and disposing of the trash. Feeling restless, Leah helps them and takes a liking to LaFayette, who is by far the friendliest person at Merlotte's besides Sam. He cooks her a late meal, the last one on the fryer, and Leah finds one more reason not to leave this new place.

"You look like you're fixing to leave," Sam muses from behind, catching her off-guard as he returns to the front. He smiles at her, but he's clearly saddened.

* * *

IX.

Leah already feels guilty by the look in Sam's eyes.

"I don't know. I'm wondering what's crazier," she says softly. She turns away from his intense gaze, "Leaving this friendly place or actually staying for a few days."

"Well," Sam says, pulling up a chair next to her. He offers her another beer, and Leah smiles, loving the redundancy she feels from this moment. "If I have a vote, I say you choose the latter."

"I wonder if you have a vote," Leah says with a quick laugh. She stares at the light through the glass of her beer, making it look golden.

"Where would you go if you do leave?" Sam asks, but it's not something Leah has thought about herself.

"I don't know. I don't think I can handle anything warmer," she says, and Sam chuckles. She locks with his eyes, unable to escape. It feels like a long, stretched out second as they stare at each other.

"Trust me, it gets a lot hotter from here," Sam says huskily, and a tingle surges through Leah's body as her face turns hot. Sam notices the strong reaction and he back peddles. "I mean, it gets hotter from Bon Temps...more south..." He stutters, and Leah has to laugh. She puts a comforting hand on his forearm in reassurance.

"It's alright. I knew what you meant," she says, though she's okay with the other meaning of his words too.

"Leah," he says, and his once awkward tone sounds serious. His hand is over hers on his arm. "Don't go," he pleads.

Leah hesitates. Once again, she can't resist the power of his eyes - the power of _him_. She nods once, knowing she'll be unable to turn him down even if she really wants to.

She doesn't.

* * *

X.

She feels the gravity of the moment between them, and he's already leaning close, and something inside her screams that this is all going too fast - that _she_ is taking things too fast.

_But I _am _fast. I'm the fastest_, she tells the warning cries inside her mind, revelling in the inviting taste of Sam's lips.

He feels warm, just like this Louisiana heat. The chairs shift, and they move closer, tasting and touching each other. Finally, Sam gets impatient, and they both rise from their chairs so they can find each other's arms. Sam pulls her close, his lips still hungrily on hers as he pushes her against the frame of the bar. Leah melts into him, feeling his lips leave to suck on the pulse of her neck.

"Sam..." she says, and she's happy because for the first time, it's a different Sam she wants, even if the same name escapes her parted lips.

His hands roam her body, taking in her curves, daring her to push him away as he slips closer into dangerous zones. She lets him; his touch is what she's needed for so long, and she wants him back. She snakes her arms around his shoulders and arches against him as he fumbles with the buttons of her pants.

"Please," she calls to him, only encouraging his hands to explore further and peel off her clothes. Timidly, she does the same to him until he gets even more restless and helps, leaving them both nude in the middle of the bar. She shivers at being exposed, but Leah knows the summer air isn't the cause. It's been too longfor her, and she guesses it's the same for Sam too.

Sam touches her hot skin again, drawing her close, and Leah gives in.


	4. Simplicity

AN: Written for the "Black and White" prompt for 7_crossovers on Livejournal. Warning: sexual situations.

* * *

Traveler

Part Four: Simplicity

XI.

It's been awhile since sex has been this simple. Leah has enjoyed the physicality of it before, with her ex the other Sam, and even with Jacob, but back then it could never be considered as simple as this. There's a lot of work involved, like shutting off her thoughts and guarding her heart.

Most of the time, she's not always successful.

She knows that whatever is happening between Sam and her now is by no means black and white; however, she loves how natural it is - how _normal_ he makes her feel, and she feels like a fool because she's falling for someone she's only just met.

She still has to guard her heart; she knows this as he quickly leads her to his trailer. His kisses are frenetic, wanting and urgent, but his touch doesn't bruise, and he's careful with her, dancing and moving her body until it finds the soft edge of his single bed.

He leaves her mouth for a moment, releasing a soft sigh as his hand curves under her jaw. She feels the weight of his gaze, and she's almost too scared to look into his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he apologizes. "I know this is too soon. Leah, I -" He fumbles over his words. He doesn't want to stop any more than she does, but like any rare gentleman, he's just being polite.

"Shh." She puts her finger over his lips, and leans in for another long kiss. She tastes his eager tongue, and he smells like lazy sunny afternoons and wild forests. He wraps his arms around her as she arches against him. They shift on the bed, and she can feel his supernatural heat blanketing around her as he slides his body over hers.

By God she wants him, this beautiful man who's welcomed her into his lonely life. She wonders if he's a dream. Maybe she's dying somewhere, hallucinating far out in the desert and starving, with only the sweet release of her most treasured dream becoming the reality before her passing.

He presses his hand below, opening her legs and searching out the wet heat until he pushes a finger inside her. She moans against his kiss, drawing more of his mouth into her and bucking her hips against his hand.

Damn, he feels good, and she knows he can be so much better. They both can, like this, or like something else when they transform. The thought exhilarates her, and she misses his warmth when he pulls his hand away. But not for long, for he searches her out, and he teases the tip of his cock at her clit, and she begins rolling her hips, pleading with him to fill her when she cannot wait any longer.

She releases a strained sigh as his head dips downward, taking a nipple in his mouth. He's voracious, leaving a trail from her tongue down the dip of her breast from one pebbled bud to the other. He tugs lightly with his teeth, and she gasps, surprised and euphoric. He teases the nipple, and her head falls into a fog, feeling him move his hips and finally push inside her.

He tilts his head, catching her mouth when she moans. He's already pistoning fiercely within her, pushing and pulling in long measured motions. Her muscles are tensing, desperately drawing him close and letting him fill her as they rise together in a crescendo of burgeoning fire.

Too much, it feels like too much of him too fast, and Leah gladly loses herself to Sam as his hips grind faster, and she feels so high her body shudders, tensing at that pinnacle moment of release.

He can have her, all of her, body and soul. No one has ever wanted her before, and as this man, technically a stranger, accepts her and desires her so readily, she'll risk everything and run to him like the wind.

If he can love her like this, every night, every hour, and make her feel like she's needed instead of a stain on life, then that's reason enough for her to stay in Bon Temps and never go back home. She almost feels crazy for such risky thoughts, but she can't help it. If this were Sam Merlotte's plea for her to stay, she'd be stupid to refuse.

His heavy breath tickles her shoulder, and she feels him push hard in one anxious spurt as he shudders his release, emptying inside her. Exhausted, he nuzzles his face in the groove of her shoulder. She kisses him, drawing him in her arms as he catches his breath. Regaining strength, Sam rolls over, pulling her with him and bringing her over his chest. They snuggle together in his cozy little bed, and she feels his soft, content breathing whisper against her hair as she too starts to feel sleepy.

Feeling the heaviness against her eyes, Leah feels her fears and anxiety begin to fade away, and she realizes that she's happier than she's ever been in a long time, and tonight, while being held within Sam Merlotte's arms, she knows she'll finally get a good night's sleep.


	5. Naked Breakfast

AN: Written for the "Vermilion" prompt for 7_crossovers on Livejournal. 

* * *

Traveler 

Part Five: Naked Breakfast

_XII._

That next morning, Leah awakens first, quietly disengaging herself from Sam's strong arms and leaving his bed. She strides softly to his closet, finding a soft vermilion robe to wrap over herself. She wanders into his small kitchen, and with a glance over her shoulder, she hopes he won't mind if she makes herself a cup of coffee.

She cleans out the pot and filter, and when she opens the cupboard to find the cups, she smiles at the cute, mismatched coffee mugs on his top shelf. Most of them are filled with pictures of dogs, and it's no wonder that Sam's favorite animal to shift into is the brown Border collie. She grabs two glasses and sets them on his counter while she waits for the coffee to brew. Looking out his trailer window, she's happy to see the day begin with warm sunshine.

"Hey, you, in a hurry to get out of bed?" She hears his voice behind her, almost startled when his trailer is so quiet. She turns around with a smile.

"I'm not one for sleeping in late," Leah tells him, and Sam walks toward her, snaking his arms around her waist as he pulls her against him.

"Aw," he says, his voice dropping to a husky tone. "We may not be very compatible then."

"Don't you have a business to run?" Leah asks with a laugh.

"Doesn't mean I like the early morning," he tells her. "Plus it's Sunday. I'm not open until noon."

"Well, we can always go back to bed," she says, arching an eyebrow. She sees him lick his lips as he gets her meaning.

"We could...yes, but seeing you in my kitchen like this, I was hoping for a naked breakfast," he says, grinning at her.

Leah's brow rises and she guffaws. "Oh, you did now?" He pulls her closer, leaning his head to kiss the pulse of her neck. Leah leans backward, closing her eyes and moaning at his touch. She feels his hands slip under her robe, pulling the bright red material off her heated skin.

"Coffee's ready," she murmurs, as she hears it stop percolating behind her. Sam's lips are quickly leading trails over her breasts.

"Forget the coffee," he whispers, and her body shudders from his warm breath against her skin.

"Yeah," she nods, and his arms are already pulling her with him as he walks her back to bed. He finds her lips, his tongue delving deeply within her and drawing out his kiss. She shivers, feeling a spark in her core turn into a flame. His hands are already searching out the wetness between her legs. When they scramble to his bed, Leah finds home within him, like a puzzle piece made to fit.

"So much for breakfast," Leah says with heady laugh.

"Well," Sam says between kisses, "at least we'll have the naked part."


	6. Doubt

AN: Written for the "Green with Envy" prompt for 7_crossovers on Livejournal. 

* * *

Traveler

Part Six: Doubt

Unable to stay in bed all day, Leah and Sam reluctantly untangle from each other and get to work on opening Merlotte's. Sam growls with resistance around 10 a.m. when the vendor's trucks start coming and he has to unload the beer and food. Terry is there waiting for him, as are a few cooks, and Leah hovers behind him, helping with a smile.

Her good mood doesn't last long. A day that she predicts will be slow ends up being busy, and she and Arlene get so flustered that Sam calls in Sookie to help out.

Leah thinks she has put her sour feelings for Sookie behind her, and when Sam obviously showers his attention on Leah instead of her, Leah is more relieved that maybe Sam has moved on from the known vampire lover, and when Sookie shows Leah nothing more than kindness in the few moments they interact, Leah cannot hold anything else against her.

But Sookie shows up late, and Leah's frustration seems to intensify when Arlene sneers about her, noting that Sam shows Sookie more leniency than any other waitress at Merlotte's.

"It's obvious he's in love with her," Arlene says, and she notices Leah's quick frown. "Oh, honey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."

"No, it's alright," Leah says, unable to hide her glare as Sookie bounces around, picking up some of the new tables. Leah meets Arlene's concerned eyes. "I'm well aware of how he feels for her."

Arlene gives Leah another sympathetic look before heading off to her own tables, and Leah tries to put Sookie out of her mind. She can't help it, however. She finds herself trapped while watching Sam and Sookie interact. It's more than obvious Sam still carries a torch for her, and Leah's envy for the woman is only natural.

_But she's chosen a vampire, _Leah thinks, and she hates to wonder if there were no vampires, if Sam and Sookie would then be together.

Instantly, Leah panics and surmises if she should start running again, or if Sam Merlotte is even worth staying for when he still has Sookie in his life, always distracting him.

And can she handle it? Can she be with someone who has such baggage that he is with Leah because he can't be with someone else? Her heart immediately sinks from such thoughts. She starts to have doubts toward Sam, even when she had been in his arms this very morning.

Lafayette calls her name when her order is up, and Leah quickly gets lost in her work. She puts on her best smile, delights in small conversations with customers, and takes pride in knowing that they are warming to her - and they seem to like her better than Jessica or Sookie. Many people even start asking for her to serve them.

Without realizing it, Sam starts to notice how customers are responding to Leah, and in a slow moment, he pulls her aside. He leads her to his office and shuts the door. Leah fidgets nervously in his presence, and when he turns toward her, she's relieved by the bright smile on his face, which immediately starts to erase her doubts about him.

"Wow, the customers love you!" he says, pulling her toward him. He twirls her around in excitement, and his lips find hers in an eager kiss. "Where have you been all my life, Leah? I don't think we even needed Sookie with your super powers out there."

"Hrmmm," she says, delighting in another one of his excited kisses. "Do you really think so?" she asks huskily, covering her mouth over his. He leans close, wrapping his arms around her, completely enthralled by her spell. She smiles against his lips, pulling away slightly and meeting his hazy eyes.

"I should fire her now," he says, licking his lips and staring at her.

Leah frowns. "You won't and you don't have to."

Sam furrows his brow when he notices her mood changes. "What's wrong?"

Leah sighs, averting her gaze from his. She tries to pull away from his arms, but holds her tight, afraid she'll take the first second to run the moment she's out of his grasp.

"I admit...I'm jealous of your attention to her," she says, and she braves meeting his gaze. His understanding is evident in his face. "You guys have a history. I understand that. Believe me," she says, thinking of her own past.

"But..."

"But..." she sighs again. "I don't know. She didn't choose you, and you're probably still hurt by that."

Sam exhales a heavy breath. "Leah, that was a real long time ago."

"Yeah, but sometimes time doesn't seem that long, not in instances like that," Leah says. "Sometimes, when you see them all the time, the past seems like nothing more than minutes."

Sam frowns, but he comes forward and pulls her close again. Leah melts against his chest and closes her eyes. "Hey, hey," he says, soothingly weaving his fingers through her short ebony hair. "You don't have to worry. I have you now, and Sookie... well, I found out a long time ago she wasn't right for me. She'd never...want me anyway, and I've accepted that. But you..." He cups his palms under her jaw and pulls her face close. He kisses her quickly and breathes warmly against her. "You came into my life when I felt so undeserving...and I still feel that way, every second I'm with you. But you are my hope, Leah. You're my hope that I can finally have a stable life with someone whom I love and loves me back."

"You really think so?" she asks, and suddenly she feels silly for ever doubting him.

"Well, that's how I feel," he says honestly. "We'll, just have to see how it all goes."

Leah snuggles tightly against him. "I like that answer."

He kisses the top of her head and reluctantly pulls away. "Unfortunately, we have to go back to work. Even the boss has cleaning duty."

Leah groans, holding onto his hand tightly. "Are you sure you just can't make Sookie do all the cleaning? You know, for taking so long to come in and help us."

Sam laughs and shakes his head at her. "Now, now, that's not fair," he says, shooting her a wry grin. "But don't think I didn't consider it."


End file.
